Last week, my dad, my two boys, and I loaded into the car and headed to Kansas City to watch the FIFA World Cup match between the Netherlands and Tunisia. On the drive home, we made one more stop — a bakery our friend Eddie Sandoval of Pinole Blue insisted we couldn't miss.
Aurora Cafe sits quietly in the lobby of the BOK financial building on College Blvd, an unlikely home for one of the area's most thoughtful bakeries. Opened in 2024 by husband-and-wife team Kerianne Strickland Nunez and Javier Nunez, the cafe reflects years of culinary training and a shared dream.
The two met while attending the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in California before building careers in acclaimed kitchens and bakeries in Los Angeles and Kansas City. Kerianne grew up in Wichita, the two of them Married during the Pandemic in a small ceremony over zoom in Sedgwick co park. Along the way, they always imagined opening a place of their own.
Today, Aurora blends Mexican pan dulce with French pastry traditions, sourcing local grains and ingredients whenever possible. The menu changes daily, but everything is made with remarkable care.
My boys immediately found the pastry case. Arlo chose a bright pink sugar-coated borrego, Theo picked a crème brûlée concha, and we shared a turkey sandwich on rosemary focaccia.
Family is woven into every corner of Aurora. The cafe is named for Javier's grandmother, who lived to be 99 and inspired his cooking. He still bakes marranitos in her honor, while family photos line the Ofrenda on the cafe walls. In addition the Nunez’s have started a family of their own with two small children Enrique and Violetta.
Hidden inside an office building, Aurora is easy to overlook. But once you find it, you'll discover something unforgettable: a bakery built on craftsmanship, community, and love.
